Danish War Movie: April 9th

By | November 21, 2022

[November 21, 2022]  On April 9th, 1940, the German military machine invaded Denmark.  I enjoy watching movies about war for many reasons but subtitled films of any kind are not on my watch list.  A Danish war movie, April 9th (2015), is a war film that depicts the invasion.  It follows a Danish bicycle Infantry unit sent as a vanguard to slow down the German advance until reinforcements arrive.

Here are some of my thoughts about April 9th that can be watched in its entirety on YouTube for free (YouTube link here, 1:28:55 minutes).  I am highly recommending it.

The plot pits a small light (bicycle) unit of about 400 soldiers against a German panzer (tank) regiment.  For those familiar with military events, imagine David going up against Goliath, but David will not win the engagement in this case.

One of the reasons I liked the movie was the realism and attention to technical details in the uniforms and equipment, like the exact bicycles, helmets, guns (bolt-action rifles), and anti-tank guns used at the time.  Old photos from the time were used to help set the movie setting; great move to create a scale of realism.

You can hear the tension in the air as these soldiers prepare their battle positions and await the advancing Germans.  Discussions are held with more experienced soldiers about how to position themselves correctly.  And we see them telling civilians to get off the streets.  These are good tactics.  Surprisingly, however, there are no scouts sent forward.

The battle begins with the occasional small-arms fire.  It is not long before the full battle is on.  Lots of movement in the town they are defending.  The director does a fantastic job of filming the action, a problem area so many filmmakers struggle with.  Unsurprisingly, the fight is over quickly, and the Germans take control of the town.

If you get a chance, watch it.  I enjoyed the action.

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Author: Douglas R. Satterfield

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15 thoughts on “Danish War Movie: April 9th

  1. Qassim

    Don’t ya just love these movie recommendations from Gen. Satterfield? I sure do. Watched this movie last night on YouTube. And I really enjoyed both the realism and could put myself in the books of the Danish soldiers.

    Reply
  2. Lady Hawk

    “The battle begins with the occasional small-arms fire. It is not long before the full battle is on. Lots of movement in the town they are defending. The director does a fantastic job of filming the action, a problem area so many filmmakers struggle with. Unsurprisingly, the fight is over quickly, and the Germans take control of the town.” — Gen. Satterfield gives a thumbs up sign for this one. Go see it now on tv.

    Reply
      1. HAL Two Thousand One

        Hi JT, great to hear from you. You and I are a few of the original readers of this blog by Gen. Satterfield, bought both his books (like “55 Rules for a Good Life”), debated his ideas, wrote about new ways to be a better leader, and have fully supported and mentored many who are now the new ‘army’ to help others be better folks. Let’s keep this up for another 10 years. 😊

        Reply
  3. Fred Weber

    Thank you Gen. Satterfield for simple clarity on this movie. If you find more, let us know….. or maybe Lynn Pitts can write another review.

    Reply
  4. Eye Cat

    The film “follows a Danish bicycle Infantry unit sent as a vanguard to slow down the German [panzer] advance until reinforcements arrive.” Wow, all I can write is WOW.

    Reply
    1. Kenya

      Think what it was like for the Dane’s … and they didn’t know that their government had already surrendered by the time the battle took place.

      Reply
  5. Julia

    I’m no fan of war movies but I will think about watching this one because it is recommended.

    Reply
  6. Lynn Pitts

    I’ll watch it tonight when I get home from work and let you know what I think.
    Signed, Lynn

    Reply
    1. Willie Strumburger

      Should be interesting. I understand from the critics that the film is very historically accurate and great effort went into this techical issue.

      Reply
      1. Audrey

        Gratitude that American never had an experience like the Danes in the movie. So many movies and tv series about how bad the Nazis were in WW2, but nothing about how horrible and evil the Soviets were then, before WW2 or after. A gap in movies covering their evil is no where to be found. What’s up with that?

        Reply
        1. Desert Cactus

          Because the filmmakers are closest communists. Always were, and probably always will be.

          Reply

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